Suspense over N-deal: PM leaves for US, France on Mon

Singh's first diplomatic engagement abroad after the crucial waiver that ended the countrys 34-year nuclear isolation may also see India and France firm up an agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation after summit talks with President Nicholas Sarkozy in Paris on September 30.

With just three working days left for the US Congress to take a call on the 123 agreement to clear the decks for the nuke deal in its last lap, the White House is optimistic of wrapping up the pact during Singh's working visit to Washington on September 25 for a meeting with Bush.

In the backdrop of a string of Terror attacks in India, Terrorism will be high on Singhs agenda in his parleys with Bush and bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the 62nd annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

A meeting with Chinese premier Wen Jiabo has also been scheduled during which the two leaders are expected to put behind the strains in bilateral relations following Beijings perceived negative role at the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) meet in Vienna.

Singh, who had last addressed the UN in 2005, will be in New York from September 23 to 27 after an overnight halt in Frankfurt. He will be attending the Indo-European Union(EU) Summit in Marseilles in France on September 29.

At the UN, Singh is expected to make a strong case for the expansion of the Security Council and democratisation of the UN systems. He will also touch upon important issues including terrorism, verifiable and comprehensive nuclear disarmament, food crisis and poverty eradication.